A package at Northeastern University in Boston reportedly exploded as a staff member opened it on Tuesday night, with the 45-year-old man sustaining minor hand injuries, The Boston Globe reported.
Another suspicious package was found near the Museum of Fine Arts, but Boston’s bomb squad was able to neutralize it, according to The Associated Press.
What was the motive?
The package that supposedly detonated was sent to the university’s virtual reality center at Holmes Hall on campus.
The package reportedly included “a rambling note that criticized Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and the relationship between academic institutions and the developers of virtual reality,” federal law enforcement sources told CNN.
Who sent the package?
Authorities started searching for whoever sent the package, but found that it was not sent through the postal service.
The FBI Boston Division is coordinating with Boston Police in the investigation.
Was it a hoax?
The incident is now being investigated as a possible hoax, law enforcement sources told CNN.
There were reportedly inconsistencies in the employee’s statement, and law enforcement suspected his hand injuries did not match up with typical injuries from explosions, per The Associated Press.
Additionally, authorities did not find evidence of explosives or an “initiation system capable of causing an explosion,” a source told CNN.
The employee denied staging the incident to the Boston Globe.
How did Boston Mayor Michelle Wu respond?
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu responded to the incident in a news conference.
“I take very seriously that this city is home to everyone’s young people, from our littlest learners up to our college students and university staff,” she stated, according to WCVB. “We want to make sure to emphasize that this is of the utmost priority, the safety and well-being of all our young people here.”